Aging on my terms - Daily musings in 500 words or so

There is a revolution happening ladies! It’s amazing and will set us all free! All we have to do is ditch the dye!

Okay, so revolution is a bit strong. And I’m not sure if “free” is the right word either.

But have you noticed the Gray Hair Movement going on? It’s all around us prompting us to free ourselves of dye and join the group. And you know what? If I had beautiful silver locks I would join right in.

But I don’t. My hair is a boring brown (aka dishwater blonde) with a few dull gray hairs. So, I dye it, because that makes me feel good.

So maybe I don’t get to join The Silver Strand Society and I’d be asked to leave Gray is the New Blonde. Though Gorgeous Gray Hair would encourage me by showing me a video: “stop dying your hair: How to embrace gray hair”.

I had to chuckle at that video, as one of the ways to embrace your gray is to bleach it and … dye it silver.

Look, I understand that the idea is to encourage women (who want to) to let their gray hair out. But it is starting to feel a bit like there’s a “right and wrong” here, which doesn’t feel good.

Maybe the revolution shouldn’t be about embracing our gray hair, but more about embracing our own style. Whatever that is.

How about if we join in and celebrate International Women’s Day by accepting each other, dye and all? Whether your hair is burnt orange, purple or silver, we are all in this together. So let’s embrace each other.

Ok, Loretta. You’re not helping my attempt at boycotting the 30 years of dying my hair. The difference in your before and after is stunning! I was unaware of the ‘revolution.’ I have planned my gray hair transition for quite some time and only have about 2 inches of brown left. It looks horrid and I definitely look much older. 🙁 Yesterday while volunteering, a young man with learning disabilities told me that I need to dye my hair. I told him that I was going gray and he said “No, you need to dye your hair now!” lol Regardless, I am going to see if I can get used to it. With many on my paternal side that have had Alzheimer’s, I think it is crazy that I have dumped all these chemicals on my scalp for all these years. It may be too late for me, but I do hope that someday women will no longer feel like we need to make ourselves appear younger, but rather embrace the old, gray and wrinkled look that says “I’ve been around the block a time or two and I have the look to prove it!!”

First…we are not old no matter what our hair color is! Well, at least not to us anyway. Those photos are about 8 years old, and have so much more to tell than just hair color (I will be writing about it!).

Years later, I let my natural hair out (again) and had 100% dye free hair. I hated it. It just looked so dull and it wasn’t me. I know there will be a day when I decide to let it go again, but not for any reason besides because I want to.

Don’t listen to that young man. Don’t listen to me. And don’t listen to anyone telling you you need to let your “authentic self” out by not dying your hair! Do what you want. No matter what that is.

I think freedom is about choice. The choice to dye or not, shave or not, wax or not, and we should all do what we want. Although, I do prefer it when my hubby is clean shave. Beardy-kisses are prickly.

Great post. I’ve been able to gloat for years because my siblings, including younger ones, are fully gray. One dyes and loves it, the others don’t. But now the gray is sneaking in. I won’t dye only because I did hair for several years and know how much upkeep it is. I’m lazy. If I brush my hair, it’s a fancy day. One time I got to work, couldn’t remember if I’d brushed hair, looked in the mirror, couldn’t tell the difference. So, whatever I end up with is good. At least I have hair. One sibling is bald. Okay, it’s a brother, but still. Bald.

I laughed when you wrote: “If I brush my hair, it’s a fancy day.” I actually feel like that too. I rarely brush my hair!
I dye my own hair, otherwise I couldn’t do it…too much money to go in and have it done!